Al'Lan Mandragoran
| nationality=Malkieri | title=Lord of the Seven Towers, Lord of the Lakes, True Blade of Malkier, Defender of the Wall of First Fires, Bearer of the Sword of the Thousand Lakes. Dai Shan, Uncrowned King of Malkier, Aan'allein | occupation=Warder | gender=Male | height=1 span, 1 foot, 7 inches | weight=Muscular | hair=Dark, graying | eyes=Blue | status=Alive | appeared= | lastappeared= | living=tom }} '''Al'Lan Mandragoran', (pronounced: AHL'LAN man-DRA-gor-an) known commonly as Lan, is also known as Lord of the Seven Towers, Lord of the Lakes, True Blade of Malkier, Defender of the Wall of First Fires, Bearer of the Sword of the Thousand Lakes, May He Sever the Shadow, Dai Shan, and known to the Aiel as Aan'allein. He is the uncrowned king and only survivor of the royal line of the fallen kingdom of Malkier. He is a Warder initially bonded to Moiraine Damodred, with the bond passing to Myrelle Berengari upon Moiraine's apparent death. He was later sent to Nynaeve al'Meara, whom he marries. Nynaeve subsequently acquires Lan's bond from Myrelle, and he is currently bonded to Nynaeve. Appearance Lan is often described as having a face of stone and chilling blue eyes. He is very tall with shoulder-length hair graying at the temples, held back by a leather headband called a hadori. He wears the color-shifting Warder cloak, and uses a sword as a weapon. Personality Although his impassive face reveals little of his emotions, Lan is a highly complex character, described as "an onion" by Rand because of his many layers. He is stoic to hardship and ignores physical sufferings, as seen when Moiraine tries to torment him with fire-ants in New Spring. Despite his hard features and cold eyes, Lan feels deeply and loves passionately. Women are divided on his physical attractiveness, with some finding him irresistible and others, chilling. Lan's creed is that of duty and honor, influenced by his past history as a Malkieri. However, he is not without an appreciation of poetry: He is also extremely fair-minded, one of the few people to completely accept Rand al'Thor once he learns he is able to channel. Youth Lan was born in 953 NE, the year Malkier was betrayed to the Shadow. When he was an infant and Malkier was falling, his parents, al'Akir and el'Leanna Mandragoran, placed the sword of the Malkieri kings in his hands. They named him Dai Shan, Diademed Battle Lord of the Malkieri, and swore the ancient oath of Malkieri kings and queens in his name. His mother placed a locket around his neck for remembrance and twenty of Malkier's best swordsmen carried him to Fal Moran in Shienar. Only five reached the city, with all sustaining wounds. The survivors tutored Lan in Malkieri heritage, the Blight, and combat. When Lan was fifteen, Edeyn Arrel made herself his carneira, or first lover. After their first night in bed, she cut Lan's hair to his shoulders and kept a lock of it, called a daori. Unknown to Lan, she intended to use the daori to compel Lan to marry her daughter Iselle Arrel. Edeyn would later raise the Golden Crane for Lan and began raising an army of Borderlanders for him. At age sixteen Lan was given the hadori, a thin strip of braided leather holding his hair back, and named a man. He began his one man war against the Shadow to avenge his lost kingdom. The Malkieri oath defined his ongoing quest: To stand against the Shadow so long as iron is hard and stone abides. To defend the Malkieri while one drop of blood remains. To avenge what cannot be defended. At some point Elyas Machera teaches Lan much about the Blight and about using the sword. Activities Moiraine and Nynaeve Lan met Moiraine in Kandor while she was searching for the Dragon Reborn after the Aiel War. After Moiraine was caught following his party, Lan threw Moiraine into a nearby pond, and she retaliated by using the One Power to soak him in turn. After battling the Black Ajah alongside Moiraine, and losing his friend Bukama Marenellin, he became her Warder in 979 NE. Twenty years later, Moiraine and Lan are in the Two Rivers seeking the young man who is the Dragon Reborn. They find Rand al'Thor, Matrim Cauthon and Perrin Aybara, all of whom are ta'veren. Shortly after their arrival, Trollocs attack the Two Rivers, and the group is forced to flee. Nynaeve al'Meara follows the group to return them to the Two Rivers, and meets Lan for the first time. Nynaeve is smitten almost immediately with Lan, while he is impressed with her spirit, beauty, courage and skill in tracking. However, when Nynaeve reveals her feelings to Lan, he refuses to pursue their relationship because of his personal war with the Shadow. He gives her his Golden Crane signet ring, which she wears around her neck at all times. Once in Tear, he is willing to break his bond and oath to Moiraine to protect Nynaeve after her decision to visit Tanchico and investigate the Black Ajah. Nynaeve refuses to allow him to break his oaths to be with her, and orders him to stay with Moiraine. However his feelings for both women - Moiraine as his Aes Sedai and Nynaeve as his "mashiara" (lost love) cause him to feel torn between his duty and his heart's inclination. In Cairhien, Moiraine battled Lanfear at the docks, and pulled the Forsaken through the twisted redstone doorframe. As they were both channeling large amounts of saidar, the doorway was destroyed completely, and both were presumed dead. Lan's Warder bond transferred to Myrelle Berengari, the woman Moiraine had arranged to pass his bond to in the event of her death. He asks Rand to tell Nynaeve to forget him before riding off to Salidar. When Egwene discovers him in Salidar, she sends him to Ebou Dar to protect Nynaeve , who he rescues from drowning. Shortly afterward, they are married by the Sea Folk Mistress of the Ships. As a result, they adopt the Sea Folk custom that swaps their roles in private. Later, on the way to Caemlyn, Lan discovers the murder scene of both Adeleas Namelle and Ispan Shefar. Once they arrive in Caemlyn, Nynaeve's captive sul'dam and damane are placed into the Kin's care. When Reanne Corly tells Nynaeve and Elayne that three damane are ready to be freed of captivity, it is Lan who reminds them that they must ethically free them. Far Madding When Rand goes to enlist Nynaeve to help cleanse saidin, Lan is balanced to attack Rand and doesn't quite trust him anymore. They then go to Far Madding together to kill the renegade Asha'man; Cadsuane, Verin, Min and some others follow them. Rand receives an anonymous note (from Padan Fain) giving him the location of the final two renegades. Rand and Lan walk knowingly into the trap. Lan battles Toram Riatin, a fellow blademaster, while Rand battles Fain. Lan defeats his opponent and flees across the rooftops, until slipping off. Rand attempted to save him, but ended up falling as well. They end up unconscious in the Far Madding jail. Cadsuane rescues them and they depart Far Madding for Shadar Logoth. There, Nynaeve and Rand cleanse saidin together using the Choedan Kal. Lan patrols the hill around Nynaeve during the Battle near Shadar Logoth. He accompanies Rand and Nynaeve to Algarin Pendaloan's house in Tear, where Rand recovers after cleansing saidin. While there, he practices sword play in the courtyard with other Warders. He repeatedly defeats Jahar Narishma with no difficulty. To Tarwin's Gap .]] Lan informs Nynaeve that it is time for him to leave her and Rand and ride for Tarwin's Gap. She promises to take him straight to the Borderlands, rather than having to travel by horseback the whole way, as long as he swears to accept any man that wishes to accompany him. Nynaeve deposits him in Saldaea, the farthest point from Tarwin's Gap that is still in the Borderlands. This is at least two-thirds the distance of Tear to Tarwin's Gap. As he rides to Tarwin's Gap he encounters Bulen, who is waiting for him. Lan attempts to leave Bulen behind, but Bulen convinces Lan to let him journey with him, on the condition they tell no one their destination. They are approached by three riders when they get to the Plain of Lances. Andere, Nazar Kurenin and Rakim all decide to travel with Lan, and he eventually accepts them into his company. He asks for their oath not to reveal his identity and that they will be traveling disguised as a caravan. The company reaches the Silverwall Keeps where a gathering of thousands await. There are many Malkieri present, as well as groups from the other Borderlander nations. Lan just about makes it through when Prince Kaisel Noramaga calls out to Lan and halts him. He wishes to ride with Lan but Lan tells him he should be riding with his nations army. Kaisel tells him that the oath his ancestors took to protect and defend is stronger than blood. Kaisel tells Lan that Nynaeve told him to wait at the Keep for Lan and to watch for Mandarb who would be undisguised. Finally giving in, Lan lets the Golden Crane be raised for Tarmon Gai'don allowing any man or woman to follow it. Once at Tarwin's Gap, Lan's army is around twelve thousand strong. They encounter a Trolloc army of one hundred-fifty thousand. Lan then leads a charge into the Blight, not as the Aan'allein, but as the King of Malkier. During a death charge, a final stand against the Tollocs, Lan is reinforced by Borderlander troops who had originally been present at the Field of Merrilor. However, before long, the Borderlander army are forced to retreat from the Gap and eventually lose two thirds of their numbes following the betrayal of the Five Great Captains. In the Borderlander armies' case, Lord Agelmar Jagand. Before going to Shayol Ghul to face the Dark One, Rand gives Lan the crown of Malkier, which he had remade from drawings, as the original was lost. He also has a crown made for Nynaeve. The Last Battle At the last battle Lan leads not only the Malkieri but all of the borderlanders as Dai Shan. Fight with Demandred After three others have tried to kill Demandred, the general of the Shadow army, Lan decides to give it a try. Wearing the foxhead medallion Galad had Berelain return through a gateway, he rode through the Trollocs, with Tam's archers help to challenge Demandred. Though Demandred has the upper hand both due to channeling and skill with the sword, Lan uses the void to inhumanly perceive each of Damandred's attacks causing Demandred to ask who in the world Lan could be. Lan applies the technique of Sheathing the Sword and severs Demandred's head, killing him at the cost of a severe wound to himself. Supposedly dead, Lan's actions result in the breaking of the Shadow army, and a strengthening in the morale of the small force led by Mat Cauthon. Rand's voice, however, is suddenly heard on the battlefield and reveals that Lan is still living. At that moment, Lan rises from where he has fallen and displays the head of Demandred, therefore totally breaking the Shadow army. He is healed by the Asha'man, Jahar Narishma. After the last battle After the Last Battle has been won, Lan travels to Thakan'dar and reunites with Nynaeve. Then he wears, for the first time, the crown of Malkier, as does Nynaeve. Viewings *Seven ruined Towers are seen around his head. Refers to the seven broken towers of the Malkieri kingdom. *A baby in a cradle holding a sword. Thought to refer to Lan's past, The sword is made with the One Power and comes from the Age of Legends. Parallels Lan may be based on Lancelot du Lake of Arthurian mythology. This is borne out by the fact that Lan has the title "Lord of the Lakes". The name Lancelot is from an Old French word meaning "servant," so it is somewhat fitting that he is Moiraine's Warder. His name may also be an allusion to the Druid, Allanon, in the Shannara series by Terry Brooks. Lan's skills in the wilds, combat ability and royal heritage also resemble that of King Elessar Telcontar (Aragorn) in "The Lord of the Rings." es:Lan Mandragoran Category:Royalty Category:Blademasters